Truss



H. GRAHAM TRUSS Filed Nov. 17. 1925 Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

HOWARD GRAHAM, or New BRAUNFELS, rnxas.

TRUSS.

Application inea` November 1v, 1923. serial No. 675,346.

To all 'w hom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Howiiun Guai-IAM, a citizen of the United .Stzites, residing at New Braunfels, in the county of Comal and State of rieszas, have invented cer ain new and useful Improvements in a Truss; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in rupture trusses or supporters and has for its object to provide a truss or supporter which when worn, .will exert the desired or proper pressure at the proper point or points and which will give comfort to the wearer and yield and conform to every movement of the body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated, in which there is employed a number of lingers or pads, each of which exerts the same pres sure, as in the case of the lingers of a human r hand.

Other objects and advantages will be appar-ent from a consideration of the follow ing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a truss embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a detail view showing the arrangement of the pads or flngers;

Figure 3 is a sectional View through a pad and the belt, showing the pad attached to the belt; Figure et is a perspective view showing the rear side of the intermediate pad, and showing the means for securing the same to the belt, and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4; but showing one of the end pads.

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 1 indicates generally, a belt, preferably constructed from elastic material and having its ends detachably and adjustably connected by means of small straps 2 and by small buckles 3. A portion of the inner side of the belt is covered or reinforced by a strip of leather or like material as shown at 4. The belt l and the reinforcing strip Ll are each provided with sets `of openings arranged in pairs one above the other, as shown at .5, the perforations 'in ber or the like.

y the belt registering with respective perforations in the reinforcing strip. n

Each of the pads6 comprises a front cushion portion 7 and a semi-rigid backing 8. The cushion portion covering is of soft iexible material, and covers the padding or lilling 9v composed of particles of cork, rub- Secured to the back of each of the pads 6, is a securing means 10. The securing means shown in Figure 4;, for securing the intermediate pad to the belt, comprises a single length of wire coiled and doubled upon itself intermediate its ends as at 1l, and having its arms extend in the same general direction and each provided with a pair of loops 12. The end pad shown in Figure 5, has its securing means, attached thereto as by stitching, as in the case of the securing means for' the intermediate pad, and the securing means 10 for the end pads comprises a single length of wire bent to provide a base or attaching portion and doubled upon itself to form a pair of spaced coils 13.

.The attaching portion 10 of the intermediate pad, has its coils 12 passed through the intermediate pairs of perforations in the belt and reinforcing strip, and the end pads have the loops 13 of their attaching portions 10 pass through the vertically spaced end pairs of perforations in the belt and reinforcement 4f. After the loops 12 and 13 have been passed through the pairs of openings 5, a narrow strip of leather or other suitable material is passed through the upper set of coils or eyes, and a second strip passed through the low-er coils or eyes, these strips being indicated at 14. If found desirable, shims 15 may be interposed between the backing 8 of the pads and the portions 4t, in order that the coils or eyes 12 and 13 will tightly engage the securing strips 141 to prevent their becoming lost or displaced and thus permitting the pads to move out of their proper relative positions.

Slidably mounted upon the belt 1, is a loop 16 to which is swingingly connected a buckle 17. A crotch strap 18 is secured at one end to the loop 16 by the buckle 17. The end of the crotch strap 18 remote from the end secured to the buckle, is provided with a plurality of fingers 19, one finger being provided for each of the pads 6, and the ngers are permanently attached to the belt Cil l as by means of the stitches which secure the reinforcing strip 4 in place. As shown, the lingers 19 are secured to the belt at a point in rear of the pads, and extend downwardly below the lower ends of the pads.

l/Vhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made provided they fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is: n

In a device of the class described, a supporting band, a plurality of relatively narrow closely arranged pads carried by said band, said pads being adapted to simulate the action of the fingers of the human hand, each pad having a resilient wire fastened thereto, said wire having portions arranged at a right angle to its general plane and formed into an upper and a lower eyelet, said supporting band having slots through which said eyelets are passed in an outward direction, and strips removably extending through the eyelets outwardly of the band.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

HOWARD GRAHAM. 

